Drilling cable protecting means



W. H. CATER April 26, 1932.

DRILLING CABLE PROTECTING MEANS Filed Oct. 16, 1929 5ml stof@ Patented Apr. 26, 1932 PATENT OFFICE 'WILLIAM H. CATER, OF CHIGAGO,` ILLINOIS DRILLING- CABLE/PROTECTING MEANS Application led October 16, 1929.j Serial N'o. 399,899.

In the driving or sinking of wells, such as oil or water wells, in the ground, by the employment of a reciprocating bit or tool, the

Cable, carrying the cutting implement at its' j lower end, is hoisted or raised and then sud,

denly or abruptly released or slackened to allow the tool, with the cable still attached to it, to drop of its own weight to perform its drilling yor cutting function, the cable, by

reason of its then loose condition, striking or bearing on the sides of the partially completed well "at one or more points.

Inasmuch as the earth frequently incorpo- -rates strata of highly abrasive and wearing l5 materials, such as sandstone, the cable, tby

coming into rubbing and abrasive 'contact therewith during such downward travel in slackened or relaxed condition, becomes worn in spots o1 localized areas necessitating expensive replacements.

' The leading aim and prim-e purpose of the present invention .is the provision of means for avoiding or overcoming such destructive and uneconomical wear ofthe cable and comprises the employment of protective shields around the cable at those points subject to such undue friction-and excessive wear.

In my earlier Patent, No. 1,189,428, granted July 4, 1916, for means for protecting drilling ropes against wear, I have presented a metallic means designed to accomplish the same general object.

In actual practice, however, when such protective metallic bands, attached to the cable or rope, come into contact -with the sheave over which the cable passes, when such a sheave is employed, the contact is more or less violent, resulting in loosening, displacfaults, and, accordingly. it comprises the employment of bands or shields for the cable of sniiicient inherent resiliency or softness to lessen the shock of their contact with thc sheave sufficiently toL preclude the specified objectionable results accruing from the em- 56 ployment of metal bands.

ing or detaching the bands with danger to the' To this end, the invention contemplates the use of rubber or other suitable'elastic or resilient material for the production of the protective elements, which are desirably, but not necessarily, internally reenforced by suitable fabrics or cords, and which on their inner faces are shaped or channeled to conform to the surface of the cable, thus removing any likelihood of their lengthwise displacement or shifting of position on the cable, wire or other appropriate fastening means being used to secure them in the desired locations on the cable. l

To permit those trained in this art to fully understand the invention and its various structural and functional advantages, a present, preferred embodiment of the same has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and throughout the views of which like reference characters have been employed to designate the same parts.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the earth showing a portion of the Well aperture and presenting the cable in straight or up' right condition in full lines and its slackened Wall-contacting relation in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-section through the cable and one of the resilient shields on line 2-2 of Fig. 3; y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation of al portion of the cable and one of the protective bands shownin section; and

Figure 4 is an inner face view of one of such bands or shields in flattened condition before it is wrapped around and applied to and secured to the cable.

Referring to the drawings, it will be peri ceived that the well opening or passage l1 is sunkor drilled through various strata such as limestone, shale, sandstone, etc., all of which are of a more or less abrasive or attrite nature.

When the tool-carrying cable 12 is straight, as when it is raising or lifting the tool, and as shown in full lines "in the drawings, there is comparatively slight danger of its becoming worn in any material degree by contact or engagement with the wall ofthe well, but

5 l `sheave becoming damaged or 'of the former "service may bev required.

when it is slackened or loosened to allow the tool to drop, it assumes a more or less wavy, undulating or flexuous form allowing it, during its descent, to bear on the wall with resulting substantial detrimental wear on its several portions which undergo such contact.

These sections of the cable have attached to them or wrapped around them, the elastic or resilient protective members 13 referred to, each of which is desirably made of rubber or equivalent, comparatively-soft material thicker at its middle and tapering toward both ends.

Each such shielding element 13 is conveniently or desirably, but not indispensably, reenforced internally with embedded textile or other appropriate fabric or suitable strengthening cords 14, it has tapered overlapping sections 15 16; its interior is rooved` or ribbed at 1i to conform substantially tothe outer surface of the cable around which it is clamped; and it is conveniently supplied on its outer face with a plurality of transverse grooves or channels around it to receive and to retain in place fastening or securing wires 18 or other equivalent holding means.

When such a shield or protector is fastened to the cable it is firmly and securely held in place against possibility of becoming loose,

or of unwinding, or of being unintentionally.

.dislplaced lengthwise the cable.

s the points of possible wear on the cable shift or change by. reason of the descent of the tool further into the well due to its progressively greater depth, the shields or protectors may be readily unfastened and moved to the new positions on the cable where they may efectually perform their protective functions in their various locations. c

Owing to the fact that these members are resilient, when they'come into contact with the sheave 19 over which the cable passes, their enga ement with the sheave is without objectiona leor detrimental shock and there is little probability of theI shields or the beingfreed or loosened from the cable with the hazards incident to such an occurrence. From the foregoing it will be apparent that these comparatively inexpensive shields protect the cable, and', as they become worn out, they can be replaced economically with ey can be shifted length- The invention is not limited or restricted to the precise and exact details of structure presented since more or less radical changes may be incorporated therein without departure from the heart and essence of the invention as defined bythe appended claims and without the loss or vsacrifice of any of its substanf tial advantages.

A on

I claim:

1. A ydevice for protecting well drilling cables, comprising in combination an inherently resilient, flexible, rubber shield internally reenforced with fabric means and designed to embrace the cable at the point of wear and with its ends overlapped, and means to secure said shield firmly on the cable against movement longitudinally thereof.

2. A device ,for protecting well drilling cables comprising in combination an inherently resilient, flexible shield formed from a strip ofl rubber designed to be wrapped about the cable atthe point of wear, and means to extend aroundy the shield and clamp the same firmly to Elthe cable against movement longitudinally' thereof.

3. Adevicel for protecting' Well drilling cables, comprising in 'combination an inherently resilient, flexible lshield formed from a-strip .of-rubber designed to be wrapped about the cable at the point of wear, and wire rings to extend around the shield and clamp the same firmly to the cable against movement longitudinally thereof, said shield being provided with transverse grooves extendl ing `around the same in its outer face to receive and retain said wire rings.

4. Al wire cable protector, comprising an elongated tubular body of resilientmaterial longitudinally split throu h one wall to per- `mit of the opening of the ody for the insertion of a ca le, and said protector having a series of circumferential grooves thereabout to receive holding elements for the maintenance of the edges of the split in firm contact.

5. A wire cable protector, comprising an elongated tubular body of resilient material longitudinally split through onevwall to permit ofthe opening of the body for the insertion of a cable,a`nd=said protector having a series of circumferential grooves thereabout to receive holding elements for the maintenance of the edges of the split in firm contact, said body being tapered through a portion of each end to a diameter materially less than verse center.

' In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.- I

WILLIAM H. CATER.

the diameter of the body adjacent its trans- .1w 

